Reykjavík Grapevine - nov 2019, Qupperneq 29

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Plastic’s not fantastic
Life on an island brings with it two
inherent problems. Many things
have to be imported and thus don’t
only come with an inflated carbon
footprint but also come wrapped
in plastic. There are, though, some
options for green grocery shop-
ping.
Frú Lauga on Laugalækur
offers a variety of both local and
unpackaged products, and in Hei-
lsuhusið in Kringlan, you can refill
your brought-from-home contain-
ers at the bulk-booth. For you caf-
feine-heads, pick up some coffee in
aesthetically-pleasing paper bags
at Reykjavík Roasters.
While not everyone can afford
splashing the extra cash on green
choices, we can all refuse plastic
bags when shopping. It won’t hurt
your fruit or veg to be bare on the
counter. It’s all about baby steps.
For instance, if you’re a regular
nammiland visitor on Saturdays,
keep your candy bag and reuse it.
You should also bring containers
for take-away goodies. This has al-
ready become an established habit
in other countries—let’s be part of
that change.
New Old is always
better
We all know that the prices of
goods in retail stores do not rep-
resent their true cost. Most prod-
ucts come with externalised costs
that are neither paid directly by
customers nor by producers, but in
the long-run, manifest in pollution
and the exploitation of unskilled
labourers.
If you want to get off the capitalist
treadmill, Reykjavík offers a va-
riety of second-hand stores that
will not only resolve your crisis of
conscience but also save you some
cash. Extraloppan in Smáralind
satisfies every fashionista’s heart
and the multiple Red Cross stores
even donate their profits to a good
cause. For pre-loved furniture,
head to Góði Hirðirinn in Sævar-
höfði or browse the Facebook page
Gefins, allt Gefins.
Vegan is the new meat
It’s now widely acknowledged that
veganism is the most sustainable
diet. Vegan dishes require way less
water than a beef-burger, and don’t
result in cow farts full of potent
methane, which accelerates global
warming. Gló on Laugavegur, Veg-
anæs in Gaukurinn, and Burro on
Veltusund are only some of the best
vegan restaurants in town.
I am a passenger
Admittedly, making green-choic-
es in transport can be a toughie.
That said, the recently introduced
scooter rental Hopp is a viable al-
ternative to cars and buses when
getting around the city. Environ-
mentally friendly long-distance
travel is hindered by the fact that
Iceland lacks a railway system, but
you can still reduce your emissions
by finding someone headed your
destination on car-sharing plat-
forms like Samferða. Who knows,
if you‘re very lucky you might even
hitch a ride in a Tesla.
“Were there an official food of drunk
people, it would be the schwarma.”
DINING GUIDE
Greta’s Dream
Day In Reykjavík
Your guide to staying green in the city
Words: Lea Müller Photos: Art Bicnick & Stock
Unless you’ve chosen to deem the life’s work of thousands of scien-
tific experts to be “fake news,” you’re likely a bit terrified about the
climate emergency. And that’s okay. While watching Greta Thun-
berg sail around the world might give you comfort, you shouldn’t
be all, “You go girl!” and then carry on living without reflecting
on your individual day-to-day consumption choices. The “someo-
ne-else-will–fix-this-attitude” simply doesn’t work. In fact, there
are many simple things everyone can do to work towards the world
that Greta envisions. To make these decisions easier for you, we
created this list with the best environmentally-friendly options
Reykjavík has to offer.